Taxonomic review of Epicadinus Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) 

Abstract

The genus Epicadinus Simon, 1895 can easily be distinguished from the other Neotropical Stephanopines by their abundant and robust setiferous tubercles, topped by elongated macrosetae, which cover most of the tegument. Additionally, the genus can be recognized by a pair of conical ocular mounds above the ALE, the anterior eye row very recurved, posterior one slightly procurved; carapace flattened and without tubercles, and opisthosoma with three conical projections (“tubercles”) of variable size and shape. This work is a taxonomic review of the 12 valid species of Epicadinus as listed in version 19 of the World Spider Catalogue (2018), whose hitherto known distribution included few records from Brazil, French Guiana, Bolivia and Peru, and only one from Mexico. Four valid species are recognized: Epicadinus biocellatus Mello-Leitão, 1929; E. trispinosus (Taczanowski, 1872) [with two junior synonyms E. trifidus (Pickard-Cambridge, 1893) syn. nov. and E. cornutus (Taczanowski, 1872) syn. nov.]; E. spinipes (Blackwall, 1862) [with two junior synonyms E. albimaculatus Mello-Leitão, 1929 syn. nov. and E. gavensis Soares, 1946 syn. nov]; and E. villosus [with two junior synonyms E. helenae Piza, 1936 syn. nov. and E. marmoratus Mello-Leitão, 1947 syn. nov.]. Epicadinus polyophthalmus Mello-Leitão, 1929 and Epicadinus tuberculatus Petrunkevitch, 1910 are transferred to Epicadus. Epicadus polyophthalmus (Mello-Leitão, 1929) comb. nov. is considered a nomen dubium. Epicadus tuberculatus (Petrunkevitch, 1910) comb. nov. is a senior synonym of Epicadus pustulosus (Mello-Leitão, 1929) syn. nov.

A taxonomic review of the crab spider genus Sidymella (Araneae, Thomisidae) in the Neotropics

“…The presence of cheliceral teeth, which was previously considered as a synapomorphy for this group (Ono 1988), was recovered as a plesiomorphy by Benjamin (2011), and this subfamily remains as the most controversial and the least studied group in Thomisidae; it has many genera in need of revision and a considerable number of species yet to be described (Benjamin 2011). Based on the work of Mello-Leitão (1929), subsequent efforts were made to update the taxonomy of some Neotropical stephanopines (Lise , 1981Bonaldo and Lise 2001;Machado et al 2015Machado et al , 2017Silva-Moreira and Machado 2016;Prado et al 2018). However, many genera are still known only from the original descriptions and poor diagnoses, and the accurate identification of many species is practically impossible.…”

On the Australian bark crab spider genus Stephanopis: taxonomic review and description of seven new species (Araneae: Thomisidae: Stephanopinae)

“…2C). The term "macrosetae" is used for setae that are stouter, longer and heavily sclerotized following recent usage by Dr Benjamin (2011), Machado et al (2017) and Prado et al (2018) to describe robust, spiniform setae on the ventral surfaces of tibiae and metatarsi I and II of crab spiders. We acknowledge the arguments against such usage so offer this loose definition to circumvent possible confusion.…”

“…The thomisids comprise the seventh largest family of spiders with 2163 species described in 170 genera (World Spider Catalog, 2019). Among the currently accepted groups in Thomisidae, the subfamily Stephanopinae has been the focus of many recent revisions (Benjamin, 2013;Benjamin, 2015;Machado et al, 2015;Benjamin, 2016;Silva-Moreira & Machado, 2016;Machado et al 2017;Machado et al, 2018;Prado et al, 2018). However, most of its component genera are still little known and poorly diagnosed, resulting in a lack of resolution and the consistent recovery of a polyphyletic phylogeny (Benjamin et al, 2008;Benjamin, 2011;Wheeler et al, 2017).…”

Kryptochroma: a new genus of bark-dwelling crab spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae)

“…This synonymy is proposed based on the shape of the tegulum, RTA and the presence of tubercles on the thoracic portion of the carapace (Fig. 23) -complete synonymic list in Prado et al (2018). (Mello-Leitão, 1942) comb.…”